> I am so excited about my new computer that I stayed up until 3:00 AM last night playing with it, and fell asleep in church this evening as a result. I appear to be doing the same thing again tonight.

Computers are fun, are they not? ;-)

> CD-RW and DVD ROM drives

I'm jealous. I have a CD-RW drive, but I am desperate for a DVD-ROM drive- not only for DVD videos, but for Legacy of Time on DVD, because the CD version keeps freezing up.


> Alas, I still need a ZIP drive and a scanner, but I'll have to wait on those, unless someone wants to mail me some money.

Forgive me for asking, but if you have a CD-RW drive, do you *need* a ZIP drive? You can make data backups on CD-R or CD-RW disks. The only downside is that CD-R disks are (obviously) not rewritable. I don't know the capacity of ZIP disks, but most CD-R(W) disks hold up to 800MB of junk. They are of a reasonable price, as well; you can buy a pack of around thirty CD-R disks for $15-$25, at least around here. CD-RW disks are a little more but still under a dollar apiece. From what I've seen, ZIP disks are VERY expensive- $110 for a fifty-pack (at my local Costco), although they may be more efficient...

Basically, what I'm trying to say is that your CD-RW drive can be used for essentially the same thing as a ZIP drive. When I put my CD-RW drive in my computer (luckily without hurting it, considering I'd never seen the inside of a computer before), I replaced the ZIP drive bay because 1) I had no empty bays and 2) I never used the ZIP drive anyway.. Of course, I was stupid because I could have replaced my normal CD-ROM drive, but hey, at least it makes for faster data-CD copies.

> Needless to say, I'm very excited. This is the first new computer I've purchased since 1995. It was way overdue. It should be interesting to see how long it will be before this one is as obsolete as my last PC currently is.

Mine was purchased in late 1998 (my first ever computer, and I still have it), but it became as obsolete quickly when Windows 98 SE came out- then 2000, then ME. I also have only a 9GB hard drive (which is a lot for some people, but for me and my nostalgic pack-rat ways, it's so very little!)

> Gri"now don't go telling me it's obsolete ALREADY!"shny

Probably not. I'm pushing Mom for a Gateway. I also want a new, quieter keyboard- I pound away on the one I have and wake Mom up every morning. In addition, I have cat hair literally matted underneath the keys on this one because my cats will jump up and sit on it when I leave the keyboard drawer pulled out. Gosh, I need a new hobby. I'm wasting my teenage life on computers. Hey, it's not like there's much else for me to do except for skateboard and try on clothes, neither of which are 'my thing.' Hmm.